A Japanese university student of ninja history got an “A” for handing in what appeared to be a blank paper, but which her professor then realized was written using an old ninja technique: invisible ink.
Eimi Haga, a 19-year-old first-year student at Mie University, used a ninja communication method called “aburidashi,” in which words are written using soybean extract mixed with water, to write about her visit to a ninja museum, the BBC reported. The words become invisible after the ink dries and reappear when the paper is heated.
"When the professor said in class that he would give a high mark for creativity, I decided that I would make my essay stand out from others," she told the outlet.
Haga spent hours crushing soybeans and testing out her secret messages on traditional Japanese “washi” paper, The Asahi Shimbun reported. She found that thinner sheets used for calligraphy burned over a gas stove fire, while thicker paper successfully revealed her hidden words.
Source: Japanese ninja student gets top grade for ‘blank’ essay written using secret technique
10 Oct 2019, 1:24 pm
